Man jailed for thefts from shops in Ripley and Alfreton

A man who repeatedly stole from shops in Ripley and Alfreton has been jailed.

Andrew Ferguson, 37, formerly of Shawcroft Avenue, Riddings, was arrested by officers from the Ripley Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team on Wednesday, February 28.

Officers had wanted to speak to Mr Ferguson in relation to a number of thefts from stores in the Ripley and Alfreton area during January and February.

As well as carrying out their own enquiries, and keeping an eye out during patrols, our officers had also passed a description to shop watch members and asked them to report if they saw him.

Various different stores came forward to report his whereabouts that day, and he was arrested, and subsequently charged with eight counts of theft.

Ferguson was remanded into custody and appeared at Chesterfield Justice Centre on Thursday, March 1.

He pleaded guilty to stealing items including fragrance sets, razor blades, cosmetics, cold and flu medications and a baby monitor from Boots stores in Alfreton and Ripley, and Boyes and Wilkingsons stores in Ripley.

Magistrates sentenced Ferguson to a total of 24 weeks in prison (three weeks for each offence, to be served consecutively), and ordered him to pay a total of more than £200 compensation.

PC Lee Sadler, of the Ripley Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This result was thanks to the retail community, through our shopwatch system, all working together so that we were able to quickly identify and trace a man we suspected of being responsible for a series of thefts in Ripley and Alfreton.

“Shopwatch has proved to be a valuable crime fighting tool, and a partnership approach such as this really helps us to keep our town safe and prevent crimes from happening. Hopefully, the prison sentence will also deter other people from committing these offences in our area.”